Beyond the Walls
by xxlostdreamerxz
Summary: What if A's suicide attempt failed and Beyond smuggles her into Japan? When the Kira case begins, A finds her convictions tested. Whose side will she take - her best friend Yagami Light's? Or the man who trained her, L's? AU
1. One Step Forward

**Beyond the Walls**

**By:** xxlostdreamerxz

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Death Note.

**A/N: **This is a revision of the original chapter for Beyond the Walls. Hopefully it will flow much better than the original one. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 1: One Step Forward**

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Her long, wild black hair framed her thin, gaunt frame. The girl, a mere child of twelve, pressed her back against the familiar, white-washed walls of her bathroom as her mind whirled, anguish clashing with logic. A pitiful, guttural sound emerged from her lips and she buried her face in her hands – her shattered gray eyes, wild with emotion. "I never wanted this, Beyond," she said hoarsely, tilting her head back so that she could see a pair of cold, crimson orbs. "It's sick, how he toys with us l-like we're his, like as if we're little more than pawns for him to cultivate."

"And are we not, **A**?"

The girl ducked her head, eyes shadowed. "I'm not stupid. I know we were made in his o' so holy image - to be his mirrors." Her breath came out in quick, uneven heaves as she stared fiercely at the ground. "But, be that as it may, he is no God. Not mine at any rate."

Beyond released a deep, sinister thrill, his body literally shaking from laughter. "Not – your – God?" he repeated, crooning loudly in amusement. "You're an atheist, **A. **Surely you can see that he is the closest thing to perfection in this dirty world."

"That's untrue."

"He controls everything," Beyond crooned, his crimson eyes glittering with emotion. "All he has to do is snap and those idiots will roll over and let him have his wicked way." He grinned, viciously. "There's no bargaining, no challenge. To be L, is to be a Top. He'll never have to submit to anyone."

** A **shook her head, biting her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. "No, that's an oversimplification," she asserted. "I can bring L to heel."

The messy haired boy gave her a wide, creepy smile. "Really."

"Yes, but…" **A** shook her head uncomfortably. "...the price is quite high," she finished, her voice dropping to a bare crescendo. It was all or nothing. To defeat L, she would have to be prepared to sacrifice everything. _Her life, her friends, her memories. _When she looked up, she was surprised to see that Beyond's attention was focused on a a space somewhere above her head.

Her time of death was fluctuating wildly - it increased one second and the next it disappeared. And for the first time in his life, Beyond was at a loss. He knew, logically, what **A **was planning; after all, he had considered a similar plan. But...the probability of success was less than 4%. Biting down on his lip, he turned away, shoulders hunched miserably. "Do as you will, **A,**" he stated, his voice completely serious. "But know this: while I may be your closest ally, even I can not save you from L's wrath should you get caught."

**A's **cold, dead eyes flashed. "Understood."

Beyond studied her silently.

"Trust me, B," she said quietly. "It would be worth it, dying a thousand deaths, to outmaneuver _him._"

And then, Beyond's eyes caught a flicker of movement - her time of death had settled. He allowed his lips to fall into a familiar, creepy grin. It was good to know that she would not be dying within the next couple of hours. "Good," he said, chuckling madly as he met her startled gaze. "Good. Good." Without warning, he leaned forward, purposely invading her personal space, and gave her a loud, wet kiss on the cheek, leaving a sticky imprint of jam, before stuffing his hands in his pockets and quietly ambling away.

Grinning viciously, Beyond began to set his plans in motion.

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** A** wiped her cheek, sighing at Beyond's strange shows of affection. She quietly walked into her room, digging through her closet and drawing out the thin knife that she had filched from the kitchens. With a faint, slightly mad grin she reentered the restroom and locked the door. Sighing softly, she slumped against the edge of the door and studied the room. It was a standard restroom - white walls, a sink, full length mirror, and toilet - but she knew that, in spite of it all, there was a camera hidden somewhere.

I can break him. We, his successors, are his true weakness.

And with one quick swipe she began slicing her wrists; digging deeply so that the sharp knife nicked her veins. **A **continued, laughing wildly, as she used her blood to write out a message on the mirror.

Tell me, L. Lawliet.  
What sort of monster must one be,  
To be loathed so by his own reflections?

She continued cutting, feeling liberated by the searing pain and crimson streaks that trickled across her pale, white skin. **A** refused to think, having already accepted her decision weeks ago; she had wanted to die so badly, to escape. But she had been hesitant...worried about leaving Beyond behind. He was her ally, her friend, hers. But after today's conversation, she believed that perhaps she could make a difference by forcing L to relinquish his God complex. And force him to acknowledge that they, his successors, were human - blood, flesh, _mortal - _just like he. With luck, she would, by doing so, give Beyond the life that he deserved...and make him become more than just Backup in L's cold, detached eyes.

A tilted her head, her steely gray eyes cold and emotionless. She would succeed in her endeavor one way or another. Her suicide…would serve as the gravest insult in L's eyes: the idea that his mirror, in every sense but the physical, detested him so much that she'd prefer death over resembling him; that he was truly no God. She idly drew the knife across her bare skin, ignoring the bite of steel against flesh.

She wanted out.

It didn't matter how, but she refused to live another day in his shadow.

Whether it was due to the loss of blood or the shoddy concoction of drugs she had carefully measured out, A's vision began to blur. And yet, she refused to remove her gaze from the spot she suspected the surveillance camera was located. She grit her teeth in determination; she wanted L to see her in her last moments; she wanted him to know that** he** was the one responsible…wanted him to know he had failed…

That he was no God.

Dimly, she heard the sound of footsteps and harsh voices demanding entry from beyond her bedroom door. A gripped the knife tightly, her hand trembling ever so slightly as she raised the blade to her throat. She had to finish this before they found her.

Her free hand caressed her throat, locating her jugular...

The last thing she remembered before her sight faded into black was the distant sound of her bedroom door breaking and Roger's horrified gasp.

She was finally free…

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Beyond gave a harsh, half-hysterical laugh as he stood before her open casket, dressed in a simple black tee shirt and slacks. His hand reached out and gently stroked A's pale, cold cheek as he leaned forward, staring at the spot above her head. _They were wrong. The doctors were wrong._ He could still see the numbers ticking away above her. _Alive. A was alive._ He threw his head back and laughed loudly, his sinister chuckles caused everyone at the funeral to turn and stare disapproving at him.

_ She had won._

_ She had beaten L._

Roughly, he shrugged off Roger's hand, knowing that the caretaker believed that he had gone mad with grief. It was common knowledge that he and A were best friends – inseparable since the day they met. Beyond bent down and gently placed a sloppy kiss on her forehead, pushing aside her dark brown locks.

When she'd told him of her plan to escape, he had laughed.

You just didn't do that to L. It was…blasphemy to spite a God so_._ And yet, she had proceeded with her suicide. She had taken her life – the life that L objectified as his – and destroyed it.

Beyond clucked his tongue, shaking his head in amusement.

_ Had your suicide succeed, A, you would have done nothing more than dent L's blasted pride. You would have still lost. _He forcefully broke the stem of the rose he was holding, tearing his fingers upon the thorns, before placing the bloody flower in her pale hands. _But you lived…you survived…and in doing so, you beat L at his own game. You are free. You are no longer under his control. You're no longer his successor. _

As Roger tapped him on the shoulder and gently led him away, Beyond spared A one last glance. Tonight, after she was buried, he'll come back for her. He'd take her, create an alternate identity for her, and release her into the world…

_ She had won…_

Crimson red eyes glittered sharply as a cruel smile bloomed upon his face. He stared, undeterred, at the hunched figure leaning inconspicuously against a rotting willow tree. And as intelligent ebony eyes met his, Beyond released yet another crooning laugh.

_ Now it's my turn, L._

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An instinctive shiver trailed down his spine at the sound of Beyond's mad laughter. Stoically, L observed the teenager with wide, unreadable eyes. He had always known that B was not stable. But up until now, he hadn't been too concerned. A has always managed to reign in Beyond's wildness; she was the only person Beyond truly listened to. A…kind, soft-spoken, little A. She had been the heart of the orphanage...

The raven haired detective bowed his head, refusing to move closer to the coffin. And though L's face retained his perpetually impassive quality, his hands were clenched tightly against his sides, shaking with frustration.

This was unacceptable. He was_ L_, the best detective in the world. He of all people should have anticipated this; should have foreseen that A would lash out…

But he hadn't.

And the clues had been all there…

He had dismissed his misgivings, deluding himself into believing that everything was fine. He had ignored way A's thin, scrawny form grew smaller and smaller after each of their lessons; the way A's once steely, strong gray eyes had acquired a strangely shattered quality; the way she dipped her head obediently to his every word…as if she had become a puppet,_ his_ puppet.

L shifted uneasily, not liking the direction his thoughts were heading.

He had gone over the tapes of A's suicide at least a dozen times. L had watched, mesmerized, as the twelve year old sliced the blade through her skin, a cold, contemptuous expression upon her face. She had stared blankly into the camera the entire time, even as the light slowly bled out of her eyes.

He was_ Justice_.

He was infallible….wasn't he?

The raven-haired man stared down at the ground, ignoring the heavy footsteps behind him, signaling Watari's approach. He chewed on his bottom lip, his dark eyes focused intently on the ornate mahogany coffin in the middle of the clearing.

The two stood in silence, both lost in their thoughts.

"This wasn't supposed to happen."

L glanced over at Watari, taking in his haggard, tired expression. The older man had grown to love A as a daughter; her suicide had hit him especially hard. L dipped his head in affirmation, taking Watari's vague statement for what it was. _Blame._ The young man nudged the ground with the toe of his shoe.

"B is lost to us as well," L murmured, finally breaking the silence. "He will not stay at Wammy's without A."

Watari's eyes were dark and seriously. "I know."

It was strange…

To think that he had managed to destroy two perfectly good lives without even trying. L closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Perhaps he was destruction. Perhaps that was all there is to_ L._ Destruction of criminals; destruction of evil; destruction of all.

Frankly, it frightened him.

And for the first time in eighteen years, L was forced to reevaluate his convictions and beliefs… forced to revaluate his position as L, the world's greatest detective. And bit by bit the sheen cloth of immortality that L had once worn proudly, slowly began to slip off his pitiful frame. And as days turned into months, piece by piece, his convictions and delusions fell until there was nothing left. Nothing left but his mortality.

L was no God.

No more.

He was imperfect. Flawed, like the rest of humanity.

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I hoped you guys liked it. Please REVIEW!**


	2. Japan

**Beyond the Walls**

**By: **xxlostdreamerxz

**Disclaimer: **No, I do not own Death Note.

**A/N: **Sorry if the chapter is a bit rough, I haven't had time to edit it yet.

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**Chapter 2: Japan**

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The faintest of smiles lingered upon her face as she sat, legs dangling off the edge of the cliff, as the wind swept through her short black locks. The girl – a child of no more than thirteen summers – closed her dark gray eyes, feeling a sense of jubilant joy sweep across her. _Freedom. _**A** had woken up in a grimy, dirty hospital in rural Japan, with nothing but the shirt on her back and a small brown knapsack with fake identification, at least a hundred yen, and a small calendar notebook. When she had opened her eyes, the first thing she had seen were the kind, beady black eyes of Hanari, Tomi – or Obaasan as she insisted to be called.

"_Where am I?"_ _she had whispered, motioning to her bandaged wrists, neck and…stomach? **A's** fingers carefully traced her wounds, carefully watching the old woman from the corner of her eyes. "What happened to me?" she asked, widening her eyes in a caricature of frustration. "I…I don't remember." _

_ Hanari looked troubled. "I was hoping you'd be able to tell me that, child" she said gently, dragging a chair over to the edge of the bed and slowly lowering her hefty figure into it. "I found you outside my door; you were already bandaged." She shook her head, as she wrung her hands in frustration. "I didn't know what to do. The authorities didn't believe it was a pressing enough issue for them to deal with…and I couldn't find anyone else to take care of you. So I did what I could."_

_** A's** eyes softened. "Thank you," she whispered, ducking her head down in gratitude once the woman trailed off. "I am glad that you were the one who found me. Not many people would have been kind enough to take a dying stranger into their home." _

_ The older woman smiled. _

"_Its fine, child," she said, ruffling the girl's hair fondly. "It's fine." _

As days became months, Hanari and **A's** relationship grew to the point where A truly wished that the kind, white-haired woman was her grandmother. And yet, despite her fondness for Hanari, **A** refused to divulge her true identity. She had…"forgotten"; lost her memory in the same traumatic incident that "claimed" the life of her "parents.'

"_It says here that your name is Asai, Kaede," the older woman read, holding up a small card with a picture of **A** smiling upon it. "You're apparently fourteen years old, three quarters Japanese, and your parents…" Here Hanari trailed off, feeling distinctively uncomfortable how to tell an amnesiac that her parents were dead. _

_** A** felt a twinge of guilt watching the old woman fiddle with her apron, obviously deciding how to gently break the news to her. She wasn't precisely sure what Beyond might have put on her identification card, but she was certain it would state that she was an orphan. An emancipated one at that. _

"_I'm so soo sorry, Kaede-chan," the old woman whispered, bowing her head in pain. "But I don't know how else to tell you this, but your parents…they're gone." _

_ And with practiced finesse, **A** covered her mouth in horror and forced a couple of big, wet tears to gather at the corner of her eyes. She needed to do this. She needed to convince this woman that her background was clean. And so, **A** acted…_

Hanari adopted her within the next couple of months, _unofficially_ at **A's** insistence. The young, dark-haired girl didn't want anyone to ask questions…and the best way to do so would be by remaining inconspicuous. She was in the countryside…

Here she was safe.

Here she was a no one.

It wasn't until the day, almost one whole year from A had first awaken in Japan, that Hanari fell ill…and **A** was struck, for the first time, by how precarious her situation was. If Hanari was gone, she would no longer have a place to stay. She would need to start planning her future.

"_Obaasan," the girl whispered, reaching out to hold the old woman's pale, cold hand. A single tear trailed down her cheek, before she hastily wiped it away. **A** didn't know how to feel; one moment Hanari had been awake, cheerfully instructing her how to cook…the next, she was gone. _

_ Life was so fleeting. _

_ Her stomach lurched rebelliously as the memory of her 'suicide' came into mind. Dark gray eyes closed in shame, mentally sending a prayer for the kind woman who had taken her in. Hanari had been first person in her entire life to treat her as a real, live human being; she was the closest thing she had to family. _

_ It wasn't fair. _

_ Hanari, Tomi was undoubtedly the most kind-hearted person she had ever met. How was it fair that she – the broken, dirty mirror of L – got a second chance at life, while Obaasan didn't? **A** sighed softly, taking one last glance at the woman's face – carefully memorizing each and every detail and storing it deep within her mind. _

_** A** took a deep breath and withdrew her hand. She closed her eyes in pain before striding tiredly towards the door. The morgue and officials that were standing outside the door, had mentioned, briefly in their report, that the young lady, with dark-hair and empty gray eyes had ignored them, all of them, and simply walked away from the funeral. _

_ And never looked back... _

** A** proceeded to take a series of IQ and comprehensive tests at various sites in Japan. She carefully studied each test, identifying the markers that separated "intelligent" students from the masses; and then, she proceeded to score at appropriate levels – scholar-ship worthy, but not so smart that she would draw attention to herself. Watari had contacts scouring the world for intelligent orphans…The_ last_ thing that she wanted was to catch the eye of an operative and get suckered into the whole L scheme. She wouldn't go back to Wammy's House.

She_ couldn't. _

Her hand trembled as she carefully unsealed an official letter from the prestigious Daikoku Private Academy. There was a momentary pause as the girl's eyes skimmed the letter…

A faint smile emerged on her lips.

She was_ in._

_

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_**Note: **_If any of you guys read the manga (i'm not sure if its in the series) but Daikoku Private Academy is where Yagami, Light went to middle school. haha so i'm going to have the two of them "meet" in the next chapter. So **REVIEW** please!_  
_


	3. Fated Encounters

**Beyond the Walls**

**By: **xxlostdreamerxz

**Disclaimer**: No, I do not own Death Note.

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**Chapter 3: Fated Encounters**

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Dark gray eyes coolly evaluated the room, taking in the sparsely decorated white classroom, the elegant mahogany desks, and the overtly loud students within, before focusing once again on the professor. She leaned, awkwardly, against the doorframe – waiting patiently for the bubbly teacher to introduce her.

"I am Asai, Kaede," the girl said politely, when the teacher motioned in her direction. "I am fourteen years old and a recent orphan." She lowered her eyes, in a show of distressed bravery, feeling the class instantly hush at her words. "I am in mourning and would, very much appreciate it, if you would not question me about my past at this time," she said quietly, feeling the class's curiosity all but double. Knowing that she now had time to sort out the fact and fabricate a believable past, A bowed politely to her peers.

The teacher cleared her throat sympathetically. "I see," she said gently, giving A's shoulder an extra squeeze. "You may sit next to Yagami-kun," she stated, pointing towards a lean, auburn haired boy.

The girl dipped her head in acquiesce, allowing strands of her short black locks to fall into her face.

"Hai, sensei."

And with that said, A – or Asai, Kaede – started her life anew as a normal student at Daikoku Private Academy.

Light resisted the urge to sigh, feeling distinctively depressed at the thought of having to deal with a giggly_ girl_ all year long. He had purposely selected this particular spot, knowing that the adjacent seat offered nothing but a blocked view of the board: and no one, especially in a school as prestigious as his, would sacrifice their education for no reason.

He had wanted to sit by_ himself_.

The boy ran his hand through his auburn locks in frustration, not knowing that a couple girls in the class swooned at the motion. Light glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, watching the dark-haired girl meticulously place her notebook and pens on the desk.

She_ seemed_ alright, though a bit on the cold side.

Light returned his attention to the professor, diligently ignoring his desk mate. With luck, she would leave him be and not become one of his psycho stalkers.

He scowled deeply at the thought.

A raise a slender, questioning brow as the boy – Yagami, Light – scowled fiercely down at his notebook before wiping the expression off his face, replacing it with one of studious attention. Her dark gray eyes glittered in amusement as she studied the boy's impeccable mask, curious as to whether there were any cracks in his façade.

She found none.

_Interesting. _The boy was a practiced liar.

A tilted her head to the side, idly twirling her pen in between her fingers, pausing as an errant thought entered her mind. _Even if Yagami-san was a liar…it didn't matter. It wasn't like as if the pretty boy would do anything against me. I'm no longer __**his**__ heir; my life will never be in jeopardy. I don't need to psychoanalyze every individual that crosses my path. I can be…normal? _The girl's expression lightened a fraction.

She had been taken to the Wammy's house when she was two. Even as a child, the adults knew that there was something different about her…that she was_ special._ So they had trained her, ripped her childhood to shreds, in an effort to make her into L's heir.

And in the process, they had stolen her name.

Even now, as she used an alias that Beyond had created for her, A didn't know her true name. The orphanage had expunged all her records from not only the public sphere but also from their own mainframe. She was A…a letter…and to them, that was enough.

But it wasn't...

'_Beyond, thank you,'_ she thought mentally, as a image of her best friend's crimson red eyes and his deep crooning laugh appeared in her mind's eye. _'If you hadn't known I was alive, I would have been buried,'_ Kaede shivered at the thought._ 'I would have truly died.' _She closed her eyes._ 'I can never repay you for this, for giving me a second chance.'_

Her gray eyes hardened in determination.

This time around she wouldn't settle for anything but the best. She was going to live her life out fully; a life with no regrets or fears. And she would do it, not as A – L's heir and shadow – but as Kaede Asai, a regular teenage girl.

She was Kaede now.

She was no longer just an inanimate letter. She was a_ person._

The thought alone was enough to bring the faintest smile onto her lips. And for the first time in her life, Kaede allowed a genuine smile to emerge on her lips, making her gaunt, tired face appear significantly younger.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, the girl returned her attention to the issue at hand – school.

While she had managed to get into the Daikoku Private Academy on an academic scholarship, Kaede knew she had to be careful not to display the full brunt of her intelligence. She had to be above average to maintain the scholarship, but couldn't be_ too_ smart…else she might attract some unwanted attention - particularly from the Wammy's House administration.

And that was the_ last_ thing she wanted.

Sitting back, Kaede weighed her options…wondering what sort of persona she should create: the lazy, intelligent student, the hardworking yet not exactly bright nerd, or perhaps a conglomeration of the two? She frowned, a faint air of frustration clouding her thoughts. It was rather counterproductive trying to 'find herself' while being someone else.

No. That was unacceptable.

She_ would_ be herself, but dumb down her grades to remain inconspicuous.

Kaede smiled, satisfied with her decision. And with that decided, she returned her attention back to the professor…

When the bell rang, Light's stiffly, straight posture loosened automatically, as he resisted the urge to sigh in relief. During the entire hour and half of class, he had sat – frantically uncomfortable – as he waited for Asai to make a move. For the girl to give some sign that she was _just _as homicidal as the other girls he knew…

She wasn't.

Asai didn't even harass him, verbally or_ physically. _Hell, if he didn't know any better, he would have sworn that she was _ignoring_ him.

And Light couldn't have been happier.

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Review Please!**


	4. Of Friendship

**Beyond the Walls**

**By: **xxlostdreamerxz

**Disclaimer**: No, I do not own Death Note.

**Summary: **Sorry it took me so long to update. I've decided to not revamp this whole story...so yeah, read and review please!

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**Of Friendship**

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After months of careful inspection, Yagami, Light had cheerfully come to the conclusion that his desk mate was neither psychotic nor a fan girl. They had, over the past few weeks, traded little more than a few words and even then, their conversations had been terse and to the point. Had it been anyone else, Light would have brushed them off as being rude. But having observed Asai, he knew better.

The girl was simply socially inept.

Behind those cold, doll-like eyes, Asai was blunt and possessed a strange, dark sense of humor. In a few carelessly thrown words, she could quite easily make even the toughest of their class squirm. She was cold, prickly, and unerringly sarcastic; she drove people away before they even had a chance to know her. Her mask was the completely opposite of his; instead of pretending to be one amongst the masses, she'd segregated herself – to hide her true intelligence. After all, what normal person would give the class leaper a second glance?

But like recognized like…

Light helped himself to a generous portion of mashed potatoes and a slice of banana pie, before leaving the lunch line. His sepia eyes swept across the hall, pausing on a small, slouching figure sitting by herself at a deserted table. He had to admit that he was curious. Although Asai's schoolwork was far from ideal, he couldn't help but feel like as if something was _off_ about her_._ Light could not ignore the occasional calculating flicker in her cold, gray eyes. It was subtle at first, but over time, he could see it as clear as day.

She intrigued him.

And Yagami, Light had always enjoyed solving puzzles…

So without a second thought, Light purposely made his way towards Asai and politely asked if the seat was open. There was a short, awkward pause as she shot him a bland stare before shrugging a thin, bony shoulder. Taking that as an invitation, Light sat and began the most aggravating yet fulfilling friendship of all time.

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**PLEASE REVIEW! Let me know what you think! **


	5. Conversations

**Beyond the Walls**

**By:** xxlostdreamerxz

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own Death Note.

**A/N: **This is a revision of the original chapter for Beyond the Walls. Hopefully it will flow much better than the original one. Enjoy!

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**Conversations**

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"You've got quite the ego, Yagami-san," Kaede said, the slightest twitch of her lips belying her calm voice. "It's one thing, thinking that _some_ of the girls here are stalking you." She paused dramatically, "Well that's not exactly true. It's blatantly obvious that they are." Light's eye twitched at her words. "But _really_you shouldn't necessarily assume every single girl wants to get some of your ass."

Light flushed pink.

Kaede blinked, cocking her head in confusion.

"Really, Asai-san…"

"Call me Kaede, please," the girl ordered, delicately pulling out her bento. She set her fork, spoon, and chopsticks neatly on a smooth, brown napkin before refocusing her gaze on Light, who suddenly looked distinctively edgy.

"I'm not sure that's proper, Asai-san," he said, ducking his head apologetically; his honey-brown eyes distant and insincere. "After all, we've only just met."

Kaede raised an eyebrow. "Yagami-san, you've sat next to me for a good one hundred and thirty seven days," she stated completely unruffled. "That fact alone should supply us with a close enough relationship to nullify social conventions."

Light couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice. "You kept count?"

"Naturally," she said, picking idly at the dirt between her nails. Kaede allowed the silence to build, noting distantly that young, Light was beginning to develop the most, peculiar tick in his forehead. "After all, it's not every day a normal, boring girl like me gets to sit next to a _god_ of your caliber."

The boy looked disturbed.

"The way the light bounces off those gold, spun locks; the smooth, pale softness of your skin…it's…." Kaede hid the grin from her face, watching the boy physically squirm at the thought of acquiring a new stalker, "…_breathtaking."_

There was a long, awkward silence.

Kaede stared at Light with large, bored gray eyes, patiently waiting for an answer to her, oh so _passionate_ false declaration.

"Ah…I…er…thank you," Light said awkwardly, scooting slightly to the right in order to put as much physical distance between them. He stared down at his lunch, refusing to meet the girl's eyes. "Now, as much as I would love to stay and chat, I have a -"

Kaede waved her hand dismissively.

"Calm down, Yagami-san," she said, her tone bland. "As entertaining as it is to watch you wiggle your way out of the situation. I do not have any designs on your body."

Light blinked, feeling both relieved yet disturbed.

"I was merely quoting something one of your fan-girls wrote," Kaede elaborated, allowing her lips to quirk into a faint smile. She shrugged delicately, meeting his eyes evenly. "I figured, if Yagami-san insisted on treating me like some sort of a leaper – I would play the part of one."

There was a long silence before Light sighed loudly. Shaking his head, he glanced at the girl from the corner of his eyes. "You know what I've just realized?"

Kaede held his gaze and raised an enquiring eyebrow.

"You're going to be a pain-in-the-ass," Light declared, not even bothering to maintain his poise and polite mask. He let out a long-suffering sigh. "For some illogical reason, you're going to, metaphorically that is, stomp on my toes and poke out my eye every single day until we graduate aren't you?"

Kaede finally grinned; her smile looking more shark-like then not. "Who said anything about being metaphorical?"

Light twitched.

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	6. Of Studies

**Beyond the Walls**

**By: **xxlostdreamerxz

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**Chapter 6: Of Studies **

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"I'm bored, Yagami," she stated, tilting her head to the side so that she could view her amber eyed friend. Kaede pushed aside her textbook, tapping her fingers in an annoying fashion as she waited, watching Light's eye start twitching.

"So?"

Kaede gave him a flat stare. "So…entertain me," she ordered, secretly amused as she watched his handsome features twist, ever so slightly, in annoyance. "I'm sick and tired of studying. We've been here for hours."

Light's frown deepened. "We have exams tomorrow, Kaede."

The girl waved her hand dismissively. "So what?" she said, offering Light a small, mischievous grin. "Is Mr. Number One Student_ worried_ about an itsy bitsy test?"

"Of course not," Light snapped. There was a short, awkward pause, as the two simply stared at one another. "But I thought_ you_ wanted to study."

Kaede stared at him blankly.

"…."

"You know, so you can pull up your rank?" Light said slowly, drawing out the words sarcastically. "I know you can score_ much_ higher than eleventh in the system – hell, you're the only person I've ever met who can converse with me on equal terms."

Kaede shrugged, pushing her dark bangs behind her ear. "I'm not as concerned with maintaining appearances as you, Yagami," she said lightly, meeting his gaze. "After all, I don't have a family, or anyone for the matter, to impress."

"Then why bother learning, as you're clearly uninterested?"

The dark haired girl leaned forward, grinning. "Why indeed," she said, winking mysteriously. "It could be because I saw you're gorgeous face and followed it here."

Light sighed, noting her cheesy, sarcastic tone. "Seriously, stop reading those notes from my fan girls," he complained, resisting the urge to shudder. "You're already scary enough as it is."

Kaede grinned widely in response.

"Well?" he said, feeling frustrated. "Are you going to answer my question?"

The girl shrugged, dropping the fake-cutesy act. "Well, to tell you the truth Yagami," she said, her voice returning to its flat tonality. "I'm in school simply because I have nothing better to do. _Just like you._"

Instead of arguing, Light simply smirked. _Touche. _

* * *

**Note: **I will write 5 more of these short scenes detailing A and Light's interactions, before I do a time skip to when Light first picks up the Death Note.

**Please Review! **


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